Within My Heart
by Arabella Crowe
Summary: Continuation of the original oneshot 'The Gift' Please read this first as it is nessecary to the story now. My lovely readers, you asked for more, you got it! Wufei fuzzies and his softer side is revealed!
1. War

**So many people emailed me begging for the one-shot 'The Gift' to be continued. Well, my lovely readers, I have answered your pleas!!!!! I am now writing what happens after the little episode in the coffee house. This story is set three years after 'The Gift' and seven years after 'Endless Waltz'.**

**I hope you like it! I adore writing about Wufei, so I'm gonna have mad fun with this. **

**Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its affiliates are the property of someone else who I am too lazy to look up right now. Its some anime company, that's all you need to know...**

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Chang Wufei wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. The thick camouflage armor he was wearing was unbearably hot, and he felt like he was going to dehydrate. He stayed absolutely silent, however, as the hot African sun glided over his hiding place with the noonday heat. The tiniest rustle about five feet to the left of him, reminded him that his fellow peacekeepers were still hiding with him. He had been recruited to deal with the rebel insurrections and miniature civil wars breaking out all over the country of Kenya. In these wars, there were no rules. Only death, and everyone was open game, all the women, children, and invalids were at risk. Wufei had been stationed there for almost two months and it was the same almost every single day. Stake out a possible battleground, wait for the rebels to show up, throw some tear gas around, and if necessary, shoot a few rounds until everyone was under control. Then they would announce that they were under arrest for disturbing the peace, illegal possession of military weaponry, and for the wrongful deaths of many in the area. The mission to keep the fighting under control was going extremely well. There was still death, but the numbers were decreasing as the pockets of rebellion were slowly being weeded out. Already something like a Parliament had been instated, and the government that had so long been a vicious monarchy, was slowly becoming a democracy.

The metal in his gun was cool to the touch, and Wufei gently ran his hands over the smooth barrel. He wiped the sweat from his forehead again, and as he brought his arm down, heard the unmistakable sound of running feet, pounding tanks, and galloping horses. He glanced over sideways at his squad and nodded. Standing up he shot five times in the air to single the rest of the peacekeepers to begin.

Already the place was filled with the stench of blood and sweat as spears, bullets and rocks filled the air. Their armies were primitive, unorganized, and woefully unequipped. The rebels used whatever they could get their hands on to fight with. Wufei threw tear gas into the fray, and watched from behind his mask as the fighting began to slow. Then his heart stopped beating in his chest. The people fighting were from the same rebel alliance! As he looked closer, they weren't even really fighting, they were going through the motions, but they were shooting into the air, throwing spears and knives at nothing, and no one was dying. It was fake. The battle was a decoy. Wufei turned around and screamed to the other commander that waited in the woods to act as backup.

"It's not real! Fall back! We were wrong about this battle! It's a decoy!"

Commander Eli Nagii's eyes widened and then narrowed into slits. He screamed Swahili into his walkie-talkie, and then motioned for Wufei to get into the jeep. The rest of the peacekeepers began to abandon the fake battle, and climb into tanks, jeeps, and cruisers to find the other battle sight. The jeep roared across the dry savannah, stirring dust into miniature dust clouds. Wufei ripped off his gas mask and radioed the base to send soldiers out the to the campsite of Nujaki Hapana. He was the leader of the largest rebellion force, and was known for being crafty.

After about an hour, Wufei could see the tattered campsite coming up on the horizon. He stood up and put his hand over his eyes to shade them from the sun. On both sides of the huge grassland, there were two enormous armies ready to fight. They screamed and yelled in various languages and loaded their stolen M-16s and bazooka guns. Wufei assessed the situation in two seconds. They were in no way equipped to deal with this. Somehow these rebels had managed to either buy or steal or trade to get extremely advanced weapons, all without tipping off the Peacekeeper Alliance. The other vehicles beside him slowed when they were about a mile away from were the fighting was soon to take place. Wufei climbed out of the jeep and angrily yelled into the radio for the base to send back up. There was going to be hell here in about five minuets if they didn't do anything. He looked towards the warring tribes again. Why weren't they fighting yet? His unspoken question was answered as he saw Hapana arrive in a battle cruiser, and take his place at the front of his army. Wufei screamed for the peacekeepers to assemble themselves.

The air was thick with anticipation. Backup was beginning to arrive, but not nearly enough. They were simply outnumbered, and out gunned as well. Wufei threw his gun over his shoulder, and sprinted to the front line of the peacekeepers. He signaled his squad to begin to move in. the peacekeepers snapped on masks, and loaded weapons. Wufei looked back at Commander Nagii who nodded grimly. Wufei turned back around, and was just about to shout orders when a piercing voice was heard.

The lithe form of a young black woman ran through the rebels and stood atop a boulder in the middle of the field. She was wearing a white dress that fluttered in the wind. Her legs and arms were slender and long. Something about her seemed familiar, and Wufei narrowed his eyes as he tried to remember. He could hear her screaming Swahili in a sad and angry voice. She was gesturing wildly and pointing at first one army, and then the other. A hot breeze caught her hair and dragged it out behind her for a moment. Tiny silver beads caught the sun and twinkled like stars in the black expanse of her hair. Wufei's heart thudded dully in his chest. Was it really…?

There was a roar of fury as the opposite armies raised their spears and guns at the girl and made obscene gestures at her. Wufei began to run, knowing full well that there was no way he could get there in time. The opposite armies angrily began to charge one another. Tribal screams and shouts were heard in a myriad of languages as the peacekeepers rushed to keep the fighting under control. Wufei could dimly see the young woman continue to shout as vicious fighting began on all sides around her. Wufei grabbed the side of a tank that sped into the fray. Peacekeepers began to surround the perimeter, pulling on gas masks and commanding the people to stop and throw down their weapons. Wufei could see young boys, teenagers even, looking scared as hell throwing down their weapons in the face of huge, heavily armored peacekeepers. The tank reached the fighting, and Wufei plunged down into the thick of it, with his eyes on the girl. She had stopped yelling, and her voice was replaced by tears as she clung to her perch. Wufei ran for her, disregarding the others around him. She was an innocent; a stupid one, but an innocent none the less, and he had to protect her. She would be raped or hurt or worse if he didn't get her down from that rock and away from the fighting. Wufei was only about ten feet away from her, and he yelled to her in the little Swahili he knew.

"Usiogope! Nime kuja kukusaidia! Do not be afraid! I am here to help you!"

Her eyes lifted to rest on Wufei's face. Wufei felt his heart stutter as his eyes connected with hers. Was it really _her_? The girl made a move to stand up on the rock, but a soldier grabbed her dress and pulled her down out of sight. Wufei plowed through the mass of people, shoving them out of his way in his effort to get to the girl. He saw the soldier hold a knife to her throat, and without a second thought, Wufei lifted up his gun and shot the man through his arm. Twice. With a scream, he released the girl, and Wufei caught her before she hit the ground. She looked unhurt, but was in a state of shock, and couldn't move. Wufei shouldered his gun and picked up her small form in his arms bridal-style and ran for the open field. The fighting had reached a level of noise and fury that made it dangerous for anyone and everyone, especially the peacekeepers. More were arriving by helicopter, and Wufei could already see a haze in the air around some areas of the fighting, as tear gas was thrown into the battle. The girl in his arms was light, but the armor he was wearing was making it difficult to maneuver through the blood thirsty warriors. Wufei could see the peacekeeper tank about two hundred yards off when he heard a scream that made his blood run cold.

"Matokeo ya kwa Mzungu! Matokeo ya kwa kisichana!"

Kill the white man, kill the girl.

Wufei found himself surrounded by about eight large, burly men, who seemed intent upon spilling his blood onto the sandy surface of the desert savannah. In one smooth motion, Wufei shifted the girl so that he carried her fireman style, and then pulled his gun free of his shoulder. He shot the first man he saw in the shoulder, and as soon as he went down, Wufei ran through the hole in the circle he created, and made for the peacekeepers as fast as he could. Wufei felt the force of a bullet hit the vest he was wearing, and it knocked the wind out of him momentarily. It was enough for one of the men to jump on him, and try to wrestle the girl away. Wufei knocked the man in the face with his gun, and put the girl beneath him as he fought off several attackers. With a fierce kick, Wufei freed himself of the last man, and got up once again with the girl in his arms. He felt someone grab his leg, and looked down at a fallen soldier. The man smiled nastily at Wufei and stabbed his knife deep into Wufei's leg. Wufei grunted and smashed his foot into the man's face before turning to run again. He felt hot blood running down the inside of his pants, and with every step, he felt more muscles rip and tear from the knife. His adrenaline kept him going as he fought his way out of the diminishing battle, and carried the girl into the peacekeeper defenses. His commander saw him coming and took the girl from his arms as Wufei ran towards the tanks. As soon as the girl's safety was ensured, Wufei bent down to look at his wound. It was a crude, short machete that was buried about three inches into his thigh. Wufei wrapped his hand around the handle, gritted his teeth, and yanked out the blade. He felt someone tap his shoulder, and as he turned around, he felt even more blood pour out of his wound, and he collapsed.

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**Hope you liked it! R&R please!**

**-A. Crowe**


	2. Unwilling Babysitter

**Yup. Chapter 2! hope you guys all like it! I love writing about Wufei. He's angsty and rude and totally hot! I just love him!**

**Disclaimer: yeah, yeah, yeah. Its not mine, shut up.**

**R&R my lovely readers!**

Wufei's mind instantly jumped to attention the moment he awoke. He was in a bed. In a hospital, he recognized the smell. The aftereffects of jetlag were not present, so he was still in Africa. There was an IV hooked up to his arm, and he felt and counted at least six minor cuts. His breathing and heart rate were both normal, and he didn't feel lightheaded or dizzy. He began to flex and move every muscle in his body to check for major wounds, starting with his head. He moved his jaw slowly, tensed and relaxed the muscles in his neck, then his shoulders, then moving to his arms, his hands and fingers. Then he tested the muscles in his torso, and then moved on to his legs. He tightened his left quadriceps, and almost passed out again from the pain. Damn. That's what had happened. The wound was very, very deep, and if Wufei had not been trained to put up with large amounts of pain, he was sure that he would be screaming right now. He opened his eyes a crack and looked around. It was night, and very dark, so it was probably very late, maybe midnight to three in the morning. The hospital room he instantly recognized as belonging to the peacekeepers in northern Tanzania. It was about a six hour drive from their base in Kenya. He could dimly see the outline of his weapons placed neatly beside the table, cleaned, and most likely reloaded. Wufei sat up, and ignoring the pain, ripped the IV from his arm, and began to get out of bed. He shoved the sheets off, only to find himself completely naked beneath the sheet. He frowned in mild surprise. He could have sworn that he was wearing a Johnny…oh, well… He looked carefully at his wound. It was rather large, considering, and it looked fantastically painful, even though it had subsided a great deal since he had first made the mistake of trying to tense that muscle too much. It throbbed angrily and demanded his full attention, something that Wufei was not prepared to surrender. The stitches were done neatly and tightly, and then had been bound with medical tape. It looked secure enough for him. He swung his legs around, and stood up. The pain wasn't too bad. He still kind of wanted to scream from the excruciating tenderness that it was currently affording him, but he stubbornly held it in, and looked around for his clothes.

Wufei found not his clothes, but some others that looked as though they would fit him. He pulled on the jeans, and found them more or less his size. Over his bare feet, he pulled on socks, and then dark brown combat boots that weren't too dirty. He looked about for a shirt, but just as he was about to open a drawer, he heard a noise behind him. He grabbed his gun, and ducked behind the curtain that was normally used to separate one room into two. He held his breath and watched as a young, blond nurse quietly opened the door. She was holding some small cloths, and a bottle of iodine, along with a small needle and thread. She was looking down at the floor as she entered, and set her things down on a nearby table. She began to walk towards the bed, but as soon as she saw that it was empty, she gasped with surprise, and began to run towards the door. Wufei leapt forward, and grabbed her arm tightly and pulled back. The momentum landed the nurse against his chest, where he held her firmly as he pressed the gun to her temple. Her breathing was rapid and short, and he detected a note of crying in it. He pressed the gun harder against her head.

"Stop that. Tell me, who are you, how long have I been here, who brought me here, and what is the situation in Kenya?"  
The girl was shaking ridiculously, and her voice stammered as she spoke.

"M-m-my name is El-El-Eleanor Brown, I'm an attending nurse here. Y-you've been here for almost three weeks now. The w-w-wound you sustained in your leg became infected, and you have just recently managed to fight it off. You w-w-were brought here by the peacekeepers, and the rebel forces in Kenya have been defeated. The country in now in the process of electing a prime minister."

Wufei digested all this information slowly and released the now crying girl from his arms. He tucked his gun into the front of his jeans and grabbed his assault rifle. The nurse looked up at him fearfully and ventured a stuttering plea:

"Um…you really should probably stay here, Mr. Chang. Y-you're wound might reopen if you work it too hard and—"

Wufei waved his gun at her to silence her. It worked. She shut up and put her hands up in self-defense. Wufei shouldered his rifle, and after a final look around the room, found a black t-shirt. He hastily threw it on, and sauntered out the door. The hallways were reasonably lighted, compared to his dark room, and he briskly walked downstairs. The man behind the receptionist's desk looked all kinds of surprised and he held up a hand.

"Excuse me, but you can't leave without filling out the proper—"

Wufei pointed his gun at the man's head and narrowed his eyes.

"You were saying?"

The man paled and ducked behind the desk.

Wufei marched out of the hospital into the dark night, feeling a little happy at the expression on the receptionist's face.

-o-

"Absolutely not. In fact, I should have you escorted back to the hospital."

Wufei narrowed his eyes at the resolute Commander in front of him.

"I will kill anyone who tries to take me back to that infernal sickroom. My leg is fine. I am perfectly capable of fighting."

Commander Nagii rubbed his forehead irritably.

"The answer is no!" He relaxed slightly. "Besides, I have a different mission for you anyway. One that isn't as strenuous, and very open to your own interpretation."

Wufei did not like the sound of what his Commander had in mind, so he stayed silent. He dug his nails into his palms. If they sent him on some pantywaist recon mission, he was going to—

"You'll be protecting Fatima Unasmaje. She is, or rather was the daughter of a very influential diplomat here in Kenya. We're sending her over to the states to insure her safety. She is considered royalty, and there are many who would either want to kidnap her and force a marriage, or simply do away with her all together."

Wufei struggled not to shake with fury.

"I…am…a…_babysitter_!?"

Commander Nagii frowned slightly.

"Well, I wouldn't say _that_, but…"

Wufei ground his teeth angrily.

"No."

Commander Nagii looked at him sternly.

"You haven't even seen the girl."

"Yes I have. It's the same stupid little girl who I saved on the battlefield. The same stupid little girl that I met a couple years back in a coffee shop."

"Well then the two of you should get along fine."

"I am not going to be her bodyguard. I refuse."

"You can't refuse. I'm putting you on this assignment, and sending your ass off to America to properly heal, and to keep Miss Unasmaje under constant surveillance."  
"I'm not—"

"You're going. That's an order, soldier."

Commander Nagii's eyes dared Wufei to defy him, and normally Wufei would gladly rise to the challenge, but at that moment, The young woman in question walked into the room. Wufei averted his eyes and instead glared at his commander, and as he spoke, concentrated every bit of malice and anger into his voice as he could muster.

"Affirmative, Commander. I will be outside."

Wufei stormed outside into the hot sun that made his eyes momentarily sting after being in the dark tent for so long. He felt no end of embarrassment and humiliation. Looking after some fool girl who had already nearly got herself killed was not very high on his list of things he wanted to do in his lifetime. His thigh throbbed painfully in protest at being moved so quickly out of the nice cool tent into the blaring heat of the desert. Wufei ignored the pain and crossed his arms over his chest as a rare breeze gently grazed across his face. He heard footsteps approach from behind and he turned his head slightly to look over his shoulder. Fatima Unasmaje stood before him with her hands clasped behind her and a sweet smile on her face. Wufei studied her closely. She hadn't grown at all from their meeting the coffee shop two years ago, but if anything had somehow become more beautiful. In the thin dark red wrap-around that was common among the women of the area, she revealed even more of her smooth black skin. Her eyes were still the bright, sparkling brown that Wufei remembered, but now they also held a note of despair and sadness behind their bottomless wells of color. She walked towards him shyly and smiled up at him. Wufei found that he was rather taller than her, and thus had to look quite down to see her face. She spoke with smooth, efficient English, much better than that which she had spoke with when Wufei first met her.

"Nguvu Wufei. Do you remember Tima?"

Wufei coldly regarded her.

"I don't know. The Tima I remember from a couple years ago wasn't so foolish."

Tima's eyes fell a little, "Sometimes folly is wisdom in disguise."

Wufei turned back around.

"I have no time for platitudes and parables. I am going to the soldier's barracks to retrieve some of my possessions. We leave early tomorrow for the airport."

"Ah, then you _are_ taking me to America!"

"Yes. Go pack. I am not going to wait tomorrow morning. You either come or get left behind. You'll find that I do not have much patience."

Tima touched his bare arm with her hand. The gentle brush sent involuntary shivers up his neck. She looked closely into his eyes.

"Someone told me that you were hurt very badly while saving me. My deepest thanks, Nguvu Wufei."

She smiled up at him, but Wufei simply shrugged his arm away from her hand.

"Don't call me that. And go pack."

Wufei stalked away in the direction of the barracks leaving Tima in his dust.


End file.
